The long-term care industry needs to attract more than 1.3 million workers to support growing demand over the next 10 years, according to a recent Argentum report. The problem is, after peaking in 2011 at nearly 1.7 million, total employment in the skilled nursing industry declined in each of the subsequent eight years.
While overall nurse satisfaction is improving, providers still face a steep climb out of a deep hole. Many nurses continue to leave not long after they’re hired, adding to concerns about patient care and cost.
As one recent industry webinar teased, “How exactly do we move forward when we’re already short-staffed and have no time to determine which changes will be most beneficial or ultimately implement those changes to create a better place to work?”
Such questions have spurred an abundance of ideas about wooing new workers and keeping them engaged.
Kendra Nicastro, director of business development for LeaderStat, recites a litany of recent client ideas, including offering college students summer jobs so that they can be enticed back for a couple of seasons — and potentially for good.
Another includes uber-flexible rotating schedules with varying start times.
Nicastro stayed in a previous role as director of marketing for a skilled nursing center and assisted living community for 14 years because of a flexible schedule.
“This provided a wonderful work-life balance for me and my family,” she explains.
One client offers every employee free meals and daily pay, as well as a $1 per hour attendance bonus on top of their hourly wage. Another community arranged for a free tutor to help staff members prepare for their US citizenship tests.
Feedback from the students who received such help said they would “never leave because they don’t know how else they could ever repay the facility for the help they offered,” Nicastro adds.
“A positive culture is key as it directly affects your reputation and your ability to attract new hires,” says Sean Carney, vice president of client services at IntelyCare and a former LTC owner/operator who basically grew up in nursing homes.
From the September 2023 Issue of McKnight's Long-Term Care News
